The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-09-15


| of the lightning had flashed upon it
/ knew him as if 1 had known him
| years, and l knew, too, that one wo-
| man, at least would teach him a tiny
| lesson.
Roderick's was in little more than
its usual uproar. for the City of Rich
mond had just brought up an army of
| Harvard kids, whom anxious mammas
and sisters were tucking away in pairs
| somewhere up under the garret, and
had some trouble in finding Lulu.
Finally discovered her on the gallery
that runs toward Sprouts, arranging
the list with Mrs. Sackett, who was to
be the giddy chaperon of the ''picnic." I"
as she would persist in calling it.
Lulu rose delightedly as / called to
her, and was coming forward with the
most radiant smile, when she suddenly
saw MIR. Dallas, involuntarily stopped
as though some one had struck her a
blow, became almost deathly pale, but
controlled herself and came forward
to kiss ME. Her lips and hand in that
brief moments emotion had turned to
ice, and could see. though she spoke
| to Mr.. Dallas in a commonplace way
| enough, all that had passed between
them. Lulu is one OF the loveliest
girls have ever knewn-a true. beau
tiful nature, and refined to her finger
tips. But she and her mother have not,
1 fancy, much of this worlds goods,
and he-well, she had amused him; I
saw that at glance-in the intervals
of his chasing the golden butterfly he
had seen her. he had idly wooed for an
hour, or day or q week-iust long
enough to know that her love was his,
and then-why is it that the pleasure
of the chase is all men care forP The
prize won, ceases to be Of value.
must take you now wholly across
the week which followed. You may
guess the incidents. He was madly
devoted-openly so. Even at Bar
Harbor. where the very tides murmur
of love, the birds sing it, the requiem
of the cypress is breathed over loves
multitudinous grave. and earth and
sea. sun and changeful sky are
but the abode aud the canopy and the
lamp and the mirror of mad midsum-
mer loye-even there was this adora-
ton of my interesting self almost pain
fully conspicuous, drawing the eyes of
the dowagers and almost frightening
mamma, although I know-dear, in
tuitiye soul that she is-she saw exact
ly how matters stood.
We had done Anemone Cave, Schoon-
er Head and Somesville together; we
had clambered Newport Mountain;
we had threaded the maze of Duck
Brook and sat by the cool plashing of
that dainty cascade; on Eagle Lake
we had drifted hither and thither, the
idle wind and my parasol our guiding
swans, just near enough to our chape-
erones, just dsliciously far enough
away. Well. the end was coming and
was armed for it. That morning we
had a canoe party to the Bald Porcu-
pine-Jack Blackwright and Mamie
Sterling in one, Mrs. Van Tassel and
Prof. Gibbons in another, and last,
but most important on that day, Mr..
Dallas and l.
We were distrait, crossing. A COM
monplace or two at the landing and
then silence, broken only by the dip
of his paddle. / trailed my hand in
the cool, green flood. His eyes fessted
hnngrily upon my face, Once he
stopped and seemed about to speak.
| calmly raised my eyes-the fiords-'
he seemed troubled and with a sturdier
stroke sent us swiftly forward. At
last the bark grated upon the beach.
Mamie and Jack had already clam
bered to the heights. The Professor
was learnedly explaining to our chape-
rome the nature of star-tishes and we
took the path by the sea, over the
point, and found nook looking south
toward the meeting of water and sky,
whence lazy swells swept slowly, to
II in nj
swaying in the depths the brown kelp,
like the tangles of a drowned woman's
hair.
He spread the wrap as a rug for me
and sat down upon it with my back
against the rock, while he cast himself
in a graceful sprawl at my feet, seeing
nothing of hill or sky or cloud or wave
but what was mirrored in my eyes. 1
quickly denied him even that, for I
cast them down. We were silent for
five minutes, and then slowly, deliber-
ately, confidently. in well-trained
music of his voice, he began.
He loved me. (This without pre-
lude.) He had never fancied he would
love woman, but the moment he saw
me he knew that he had met his fate.
1 was the one being he had met in the
world who seemed lifted above all that
was human; I inspired reverence,
worship, alteration, but gave, too,
the right. the imperious right, to love
me and to be beloved by me. Was 1t
not truep
was silent. The boats in the bar
Dor rocked idly; passing cloud cast
swift shadow; shrill gull veersd
in his flight and called to his distant
mate. About US the drone Of busy in
sects- la the grass; beneath the writh-
ing of waters about the rocks. and
their dull moan in the. cavern.
No woman but had ever stirred his
pulses, my hand the first to strike
from his heart-strings a music which
should echo there forever. He loved
me. All his past had been strangely
untruthful-but he understood IL now.
His soul had been waiting, waiting
and watching for me, and now he had
found me and he loved me. Could /
picture the. future-fair as the skies
above as with the light had brought
him; fervent as that burning sun Of
July; true as the wind which owns no
master, but hurries to its purpose; in.
finite and deep as the sea. He loved
me,
Still Ispoks not. but with downward
eyes watched the play of the salt tide
with the weeds it clutohed in its erys-
tai fingers.
Why did I not answer himP All, his
own true, passionate heart dared guess
the secret. No love strong as his
could kneel a suppliant and beg for
favors. He knew the secret would
withhold; the hour had come; our love
was mutual; it had been ordained for
me as it had been ordained for him
(here he took my hand); no woman
dare say no to the man whose wild love
mastered her, and
About this time ] came to the con-
clusion that / had heard quite enough.
The fiords were lifted and gazed
quite calmly into Mr.. Dallas's some
what lurid orbs, and the hand was
quietly but resolutely withdrawn to
my private keeping.
'.Do you think that your declaration
has been entirely justifiedp" l in
quired.
His dark face crimsoned anda scowl
shall never forget came to his brow.
ssWhat do Won maanpo